Sneaking Out
by Aiden Ravelle
Summary: Tsubasa hides a serious illness from his family.


Hope you enjoy, thanks for reading! Just a short little fic of Tsubasa hiding a serious illness.

The door shut quietly as Tsubasa snuck into the dark morning. It had been like this twice a year, every year, for most of his life. This, however, was the first time he didn't have his mother with him. She was the only one who knew his secret. He arrived back home just as the sun was rising, and snuck in unnoticed as his siblings were still asleep.

A few days pass and Tsubasa receives a call, "Yeah, ok, I understand. Thanks."

"Who was that?" Houka questioned.

"No one important," he replied quietly sitting at the table.

Urara came in and noticed how quiet Tsubasa was, "Are you ok?"

He nodded, "I'm fine. Just tired," he got up and headed to his room.

The next day he seemed back to normal but as the days and weeks went on he kept sneaking out early in the morning, coming home around sunrise. Makito noticed one morning he woke up early and after that he kept watch on Tsubasa, noticing a sneaking out multiple mornings a week.

"Kai, do you know anything about Tsubasa sneaking out in the mornings?" Makito wondered.

Kai shook his head, "Maybe he is back to boxing training. I mean, I stayed in soccer, I don't know why he quit."

"You stayed in soccer because you are still in school. I stayed farming because we needed money. He was taking a break from boxing to focus on fighting Infershia. I thought he understood my reasons for wanting him to quit. I can't believe he'd go back to boxing now."

"Maybe it's something different, he might have a girlfriend," Houka suggested, overhearing the conversation.

Urara who had been staring at her crystal ball came up, "He is still fighting with us every fight, it's not like whatever it is, is a problem."

"Maybe," Makito said quietly.

"Let's get him," Kai yelled as they ran forward to attack.

After getting a few attacks in, Tsubasa collapsed.

"Tsubasa!" Urara yelled helping to get him up and away from the beast they were fighting.

He tried to stand but his legs were weak. The group knew they couldn't win with a member down, so they retreated.

"What's wrong?" Houka questioned.

He shrugged in response, "Must have gotten hit the wrong way."

Once home, Tsubasa worked on a healing potion. It wasn't the first time Tsubasa collapsed during a fight recently, but it was the first time he couldn't get the energy to keep on fighting.

The next morning, Tsubasa snuck out again. However, a beast started attacking the city early in the morning.

"Magirangers, you need to get to town," Mandora-boy woke them.

"Where is Tsubasa?" Makito sounded angry.

"We just have to go without him," Kai decided.

The siblings were already back from their fight when Tsubasa arrived home. Makito was outside waiting for him.

"Where were you?" Makito asked angrily.

"It doesn't matter," Tsubasa replied cooly.

Makito punched out toward Tsubasa, "It must matter, if you keep sneaking out every morning for the last couple months."

Tsubasa looked shocked that his brother noticed.

"It didn't bother me too much," Makito continued, "until you started collapsing during fights and even worse, not showing up."

"You don't understand," Tsubasa was getting angry right back.

"I thought you understood, about our team, how we need you. Our parents died for this world, do you really want to let them have died in vain? What are you doing every day? Boxing training? You are wearing yourself out on whatever it is, you need to stop."

"You don't understand, I have to," Tsubasa was getting exhausted just from arguing, and he leaned against the porch.

"You don't have to. What you have to do is focus on fighting Infershia. I will not allow you to keep leaving like this," Makito gave his final word.

Tsubasa was starting to look pale and felt like he might faint. "I have to do this. Let me explain," he offered.

"I gave you time to explain, yet you refused, I'm the head of this house, what I say goes."

"Then I can no longer be part of this house," Tsubasa gathered his energy and started to walk away. He didn't know where he would go, but his life depended on his morning trips.

Makito didn't fight, he just walked in the house and slammed the door.

"You went a little too far," Urara told her brother.

Kai spoke up, "Someone should go find him."

"He'll realize he needs us and come back," Makito was convinced.

Houka sighed, "He didn't look like he felt well."

"I don't think he has for a while," Urara admitted.  
-

The next morning the phone rang and Makito answered.

"Hello?" 

"Hello, is Tsubasa Ozu there?" The woman on the other end answered.

"No, why?" his brother asked.

"He didn't show up for his chemo today, so we were just calling to check up on him."

Makito collapsed into a chair at the answer.

"Sir?"

"Chemo?" Makito choked in confusion.

"For his leukemia," the woman replied, "Who am I speaking to? I can only give limited information unless the patient approves otherwise."

"It's fine, goodbye," Makito set down the phone and put his head down in his hands.

"What's for breakfast, oniichan?" Houka yawned walking into the kitchen.

"I can't believe it," he muttered to himself.

"Oniichan?" she put her hand on his shoulder.

"Wake the others and get dressed. We need to find Tsubasa."

Once the siblings were dressed and ready Kai asked, "What's going on?"

"I got a call this morning, about Tsubasa, apparently he didn't show up to his appointment."

"What appointment?" Urara asked.

"Apparently, he has cancer," The eldest brother confessed the news he learned.

The group stood there in shock.

"How bad is it?"

Makito shook his head, "I don't know, I don't even know why he'd hide something like this from us in the first place."

"It's like him though," Urara thought, "he probably didn't want to worry us while we were focused on fighting."

"I remember him being sick a lot when he was little," Houka remembered, "but he always just kept going."

"You don't think he had this back then, do you?" Kai wondered.

"It doesn't matter, let's just find him," Makito decided.

They talked with anyone who might know him, boxing friends and coaches, old friends from school, anyone who they knew he came into contact with.

"Did anyone try calling him?" Urara thought.

"I did once, but he didn't answer," Houka answered.

Kai pulled out his phone, "I'll try again."

"Kai?" Tsubasa asked quietly on the other end of the phone.

"Tsu-nii! Where are you?"

After a moment of silence Tsubasa answered, "I'm camping."

"Camping?"

"Yeah."

"Where are you camping?"

"I'll tell you if you come alone and bring me something, alright?"

"Yeah, what do you need?"

"Niichan?" Kai asked walking up to a tent.

Tsubasa unziped the tent and pushed the flap back. He was sitting on one side and put his hand out to signal Kai to come sit with him. Kai noticed a single blanket covering the floor of the tent and Tsubasa's yellow jacket balled up which Kai assumed Tsubasa used as a pillow.

"You look like shit," Kai confessed.

"Yeah," Tsubasa sighed, "I have something to tell you."

"We already know. The hospital called this morning because you missed your treatment."

Tsubasa balled his fist up and struck the ground.

"Why did you hide this? We could have helped you."

"You know Aniki, he probably wouldn't let me fight at all and I couldn't let you guys fight without me. Urara and Houka would have been too worried too, I don't need them treating me like I can't do anything at all."

"If you push yourself too hard though," Kai told him, "You won't get better."

Tsubasa nodded, "I know. It was so much easier with kaasan. I had this when I was younger too. She didn't want any of you to treat me different, so she just told you guys I got the flu a lot. You were probably too young to remember though. It was around the time dad went missing too, so it was easier for me to push it into hiding," he sighed and took a moment's break before continuing, "It's not been terrible, I've made it every treatment, I've been taking all of my meds, exept the last 24 hours because I left them at the house."

"Oh yeah," Kai pulled out a yellow drawstring bag that Tsubasa had been hiding his meds in. He pulled out everything he needed to take and drank the meds down with different colored potions.

"I've been making potions to help with some things too, and I realized that mom must have given them to me when I was younger too, I just always thought they were regular meds. But that's why I don't have issues with hair loss, I use potions for that and energy and focus, and I have meds for headaches and nausea."

"So how bad is it?" Kai worried for his brother.

"I get checked a couple times a year, because I've had it before, so it wasn't terrible. However, the first treatments weren't working, so they changed the medicine and dosage. I should be better in a few more weeks, but it is still causing a few problems, on top of the chemo side effects. Just a few more weeks and you guys wouldn't have had to know."

"Aniki was pretty pissed when he caught you sneaking out, but Ura-nee told him it wasn't affecting anything so he didn't need to worry. But I know he was still angry."

"So because I didn't show up to one fight and had been weaker recently, he connected the dots to me sneaking out. I can't believe he thought I was back into boxing though. As much as I'd love to and want to, I know why he asked me to take a break from it and I fully agreed."

"He's really upset at himself though. He's been searching all day for you. He didn't even think to call you, and even though Houka thought of it, you never answered her."

"I must have still been out of it," Tsubasa confessed, "The reason I missed my treatment today was without the meds and potions I couldn't even think straight when I woke up. It took me a few hours to even sit up."

"It probably didn't help that you slept outside," Kai sighed.

Tsubasa gave a small shiver and pulled his jacket onto his shoulders.

"You should come home," Kai suggested after a few moments of silence.

"Aniki and I fought though," Tsubasa reminded.

"Like I said, he's been worried sick since he found out," Kai reminded in return.

"You know how it is when they baby you, you're the youngest. I don't want them doing that to me," Tsubasa confessed.

"You were always good at not treating me too much like a kid," Kai pointed out, then decided, "I'll fight them for you. I'll explain to them how you feel if you want. I'll make sure you get treated how you want, just let me and the others help you a little bit."

"Maybe," Tsubasa leaned against the back of the tent.

After a few minutes Kai asked, "Have you eaten?"

"I've hardly been eating lately. I've been taking platefuls then shrinking it with potions so they wouldn't notice how little I was eating. I feel like I'm forcing myself with food when I have no desire to eat," Tsubasa confessed.

"Come on, let's go get you something to eat. How about ice cream from that shop you like? My treat," Kai suggested.

"You won't let me say no, will you?" Tsubasa asked.

Kai smiled and shook his head. After they climbed out of the tent, Tsubasa said a spell making his tent and blanket pack themselves up.

"Thanks Kai," Tsubasa said after a bite of ice cream.

"No problem," he gave a small laugh as ice cream dripped down the cone.

"How's soccer been? Sorry I've not been to many games lately," Tsubasa asked.

"Tsu-nii, you barely came to games before, just like I rarely went to your boxing matches," Kai laughed again.

"That's going to change. Next month I'll start coming to all of them," Tsubasa decided.

"Only if you want to," Kai replied.

"You're my only little brother, I want to do more," Tsubasa mentioned.

"We should head back," Kai said quietly remembering their siblings at home.

"I guess I have to at some point," Tsubasa sighed finishing his ice cream.

"Maybe it won't be as bad as you think?" Kai offered.

When they arrived, Makito was standing outside waiting for them.

He sounded a little angry, "Go inside, Kai."

Kai looked at Tsubasa who nodded him to go ahead.

"Look," Tsubasa started.

Makito who was facing away from him cut him off, "No, you look. Curfew is midnight and you know it. We were worried about you," he turned and gave a small smile, "I know this all won't be easy, but we'll do our best. I won't stop you from fighting, but we will plan our attacks just a bit different. Just let us in a little."

"Yeah," Tsubasa gave a small sigh of relief.

"Also, I am going to start driving you to treatments," his brother decided.

"Aniki, you don't have to," Tsubasa shook his head.

"I know, but I _want_ to," Makito put a hand on Tsubasa's shoulder, "We should go in, Urara is making your favorite soup for dinner."

They went in the house and Houka hugged Tsubasa quickly, "You know I'm here for you, I won't get sappy, just don't die on us."

"Well I don't plan on it," Tsubasa laughed.

"Let's eat," Urara said as she placed soup on the table.

"Actually eat," Kai tried to look stern as Tsubasa rolled his eyes as he sat down.

"Itadakimasu," Tsubasa and Kai said in unison as they started eating.

Their magiphones started going off a few bites in.

"Guess it's back to business," Houka sighed as they all stood up.

"Let's go," Tsubasa smiled, glad that things were going to be back to normal.


End file.
